outside its walls
by Holly Potter 9587
Summary: Issa is living in Inkopolis. Everyone is. But after two years of extinct Octarians. She goes to find herself a life elsewhere. Surely there are civilizations outside the city. Right? Well there's no turning back now because Issa is LOCKED OUT.
1. Chapter 1

Issa woke up to the bleeping of her Inkphone. She lay there for a while then jumped up with a start! She needed to be at Inkopolis tower! She threw on her favourite black band top her shorts then grabbed her Krak on splat roller and her colourful headphones. She ran out the door listening to the squid sister's _Fuel the melody_.

The battle was a green v. orange with Issa on green they won they won by miles but when she went to celebrate she realised she didn't have any friends to celebrate with. She pulled up her contacts on her phone and stared silently at her pen pal Una's name. Una had been an octoling who had gone extinct two years ago due to the great zapfish incident. The stealing back of the great zapfish had caused the city to crumble and the species to fall. They were on video chat at the time. Issa closed her eyes as she remembered the horrible screams and bangs and watching Una fall through a floor screaming. Her eyes flew open contort with rage she ran home yelling "Octarians weren't the bad ones Inklings are! I hate Inkopolis!" People tutted as she ran past but she didn't care. She saw herself appear up on the familiar screen of inkopolis news time. She lifted her roller up high and splatted what remaining ink she had left on the screen. She ran home and up to her room. Her mum wouldn't be home for another hour. That would make things easier. She began to pack her splattershot, phone, money, roller, some food and finally: a picture of Una. She never wanted to see inkopolis again.


	2. Chapter 2

Issa sat there on the train. She didn't know where she was going exactly. Just out of the city. She got stares from everyone on the train. Then she decided she wanted to go see one place before she left. She got off the train at the plaza. She saw a jelly fish cleaning off the green ink she had sprayed on the screen. She had a self-conscious feeling and turned blue instead. She stopped outside a drainage cover. This was where she wanted to be. She had seen that kid go down here tons of times 2 years ago (and what had seemed like the squid sisters once) but once the zapfish was back they stopped. She took a deep breath and turned into a squid jumping into the drain. When she emerged she found herself by an old shack. It looked like some guy used to live here. Next to it she saw a glass water filled sphere with, she cried out in rage, an Octarian corpse inside! Cursing under her breath she had a look around. She saw many kettles lying around. Finally she stopped at one of them. If she was correct this would take her to roughly where she wanted to be. She became a squid mid-air and jumped in. She emerged in a dark dome of black and red twisting crumbled towers. This was where a whole Octarian civilization once dwelled. Its inhabitants just barely coping underground. She wondered around the city finding broken railway tracks collapsed floating platforms and big gaping holes. Una would have fallen through one of these into who knows where. Maybe she was still alive. Or maybe she was extinct like the rest of her kind. Issa couldn't take it anymore she went searching for a kettle. On her way she encountered a massive spear with a creepy snake like face. A battle had obviously taken place here. It gave her an odd shiver. She found a kettle there though. She took it back to the sun-bathed surface and left through the drain. Back in the plaza she saw, satisfied, that they were still having trouble cleaning her ink off the big screen. Smirking she went and caught the train for the second time. She couldn't help noticing a boy green her age kept giving her weird glances over a newspaper he was reading. He didn't wear his tentacles like other boys. He had styled it in a weird banged spiky do. Eventually he slid over to her and asked "Hey. Aren't you the girl who said she hated Inkopolis?"

"Yeah what's it to you?" She replied.

"Well I feel the exact same way. We could start a rebellion or something."

"Woah hold it there! We're not gonna campaign because I won't be in this place much longer anyways. Besides what would your parents say?"

"Well…the thing is I haven't got any. All I got is my splash o matic." He said holding up his weapon. Issa was taken aback. She had never known anyone without any parents. She felt a sudden rush of pity for this boy. "Well I guess you could come with me but I have no idea where I'm going just away an-"

"I could kiss you right now!"

"Woah please don't!" Issa yelled backing away. "Oh don't worry I won't." He said grinning. "So what's your name anyway?" He asked. "Issa". Issa replied sliding back to him. "Well that's funny because I'm Iz." He replied. Issa said as they both stared simply across the compartment out the opposite window "Issa and Iz. I like that."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thank you to** **Alewar Warinot for criticising my work fairly. I will try and do what I think you meant by "more space for the characters' dialogue." Correct me if I'm wrong okay? Anyway on to the story my fellow squidkids!**

Issa woke up smiling. She had dreamt of something wonderful. But oops it had gone. Oh well. She looked around. She was confused at first but then she remembered everything that had happened the previous day. She thought about the laughter and tears all mingled into one day. The weird noise they heard at sunset. She got out the tent and found Iz fiddling with the charred sticks from the fire. "you slept in late" he smiled.

"Pssh it's not like I have to go to school anymore is it?" Issa asked groggily.

"At the care home we were home schooled."

"Sounds boring."

"It was."

"Well we're free now."

"Until we run out of food."

"Well hopefully we will have found a new food source or settlement then."

"And if we haven't?"

"Then you eat me."

Iz was taken aback by this. He just stammered until Issa burst out laughing. "I was joking! So help me get the tent packed up." When the tent was packed up they began to decide which way to go, not that it mattered. In the end they decided to go towards the mountain they were heading to the day before. It was when they neared the actual mountain that Iz noticed a tunnel in the mountain. "Hey look! I know what that is! It's an ancient sanctuary!

"A What now?" Issa asked confused.

"It's supposed to be protective or something like that. It's hard to see but if you squint you can see the opening." Replied Iz. Issa squinted at the mountain foot. "Oh yeah! She yelled. "Cool! Wait you wanted to know what I was gonna write on the wall. I was going to write-" but she was interrupted by the same hellish sound they had heard before. But this time it had an owner. From behind a boulder emerged the most petrifying, colossal squid like figure with its many tentacles flapping lazily and its sharp, gleaming beak snapping wildly. It had fixed its gleaming black eyes on the two inklings below it. It began making the same hellish noises but louder, more threatening. "Get to the sanctuary!" Iz yelled shooting the beast with his gun. His ink seemed to have little effect on the creature. He turned and ran at full pelt. He saw Issa struggling under the weight she had to carry. Issa gasped as she felt a hand round hers drag her at full speed towards the tunnel. "Iz it won't work! It's probably just a myth!" She cried. "Well we haven't got many other options right now have we?!" Iz yelled back. They dodged flying tentacles and big boulders. And as they just made it through the tunnel they felt a sudden warmth and both knew that they were safe. Suddenly Iz tripped and they both fell on top of each other laughing. The sanctuary seemed to have filled them with a strange joy. "Well that was a bonding exercise." Said Issa. "I learnt that you run like a pro." She grinned. "And I learnt you can't" laughed Iz. He looked around; they were in a cave filled with turquoise crystals. "So this is a sanctuary" he murmured. His mind suddenly jumped to the most important question "What was that thing chasing us?" He asked.

"No idea." Replied Issa. The cave seemed to make them want to think of happy things only. Divulging into the parts of their mind they never knew existed and dragging out the good thoughts. Perhaps it was this that gave Issa the sudden urge to lay her head on Iz's lap and fall asleep. And perhaps it was this that made Iz not protest but stroke her head and fall asleep soon after. Two young inklings asleep side by side. Happy smiles on their faces…

 **Just like before. Some criticism and I'll write the next chapter asap.**

 **Staaay fresh!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you to** **Alewar Warinot for criticising my work fairly. I will try and do what I think you meant by "more space for the characters' dialogue." Correct me if I'm wrong okay? Anyway on to the story my fellow squidkids!**

Issa woke up smiling. She had dreamt of something wonderful. But oops it had gone. Oh well. She looked around. She was confused at first but then she remembered everything that had happened the previous day. She thought about the laughter and tears all mingled into one day. The weird noise they heard at sunset. She got out the tent and found Iz fiddling with the charred sticks from the fire. "you slept in late" he smiled.

"Pssh it's not like I have to go to school anymore is it?" Issa asked groggily.

"At the care home we were home schooled."

"Sounds boring."

"It was."

"Well we're free now."

"Until we run out of food."

"Well hopefully we will have found a new food source or settlement then."

"And if we haven't?"

"Then you eat me."

Iz was taken aback by this. He just stammered until Issa burst out laughing. "I was joking! So help me get the tent packed up." When the tent was packed up they began to decide which way to go, not that it mattered. In the end they decided to go towards the mountain they were heading to the day before. It was when they neared the actual mountain that Iz noticed a tunnel in the mountain. "Hey look! I know what that is! It's an ancient sanctuary!

"A What now?" Issa asked confused.

"It's supposed to be protective or something like that. It's hard to see but if you squint you can see the opening." Replied Iz. Issa squinted at the mountain foot. "Oh yeah! She yelled. "Cool! Wait you wanted to know what I was gonna write on the wall. I was going to write-" but she was interrupted by the same hellish sound they had heard before. But this time it had an owner. From behind a boulder emerged the most petrifying, colossal squid like figure with its many tentacles flapping lazily and its sharp, gleaming beak snapping wildly. It had fixed its gleaming black eyes on the two inklings below it. It began making the same hellish noises but louder, more threatening. "Get to the sanctuary!" Iz yelled shooting the beast with his gun. His ink seemed to have little effect on the creature. He turned and ran at full pelt. He saw Issa struggling under the weight she had to carry. Issa gasped as she felt a hand round hers drag her at full speed towards the tunnel. "Iz it won't work! It's probably just a myth!" She cried. "Well we haven't got many other options right now have we?!" Iz yelled back. They dodged flying tentacles and big boulders. And as they just made it through the tunnel they felt a sudden warmth and both knew that they were safe. Suddenly Iz tripped and they both fell on top of each other laughing. The sanctuary seemed to have filled them with a strange joy. "Well that was a bonding exercise." Said Issa. "I learnt that you run like a pro." She grinned. "And I learnt you can't" laughed Iz. He looked around; they were in a cave filled with turquoise crystals. "So this is a sanctuary" he murmured. His mind suddenly jumped to the most important question "What was that thing chasing us?" He asked.

"No idea." Replied Issa. The cave seemed to make them want to think of happy things only. Divulging into the parts of their mind they never knew existed and dragging out the good thoughts. Perhaps it was this that gave Issa the sudden urge to lay her head on Iz's lap and fall asleep. And perhaps it was this that made Iz not protest but stroke her head and fall asleep soon after. Two young inklings asleep with each other. Happy smiles on their faces…

 **Just like before. Some criticism and I'll write the next chapter asap.**

 **Staaay fresh!**


	5. Chapter 5

Issa woke up bleary eyed but still joyful. She had no idea what time of day it was though. She looked around at her surroundings until she remembered what had happened the previous two days. She decided to take a look around the cave. It was too dark to see much so she went around with her arms in front of herself so she could find any walls before she hit them. The cave was bigger than she thought. She went to take another lunge but her foot did not touch solid rock but a cold, deep liquid. "Aaah water!" yelled Issa but then she was consumed by the dangerous fluid with a splash. She rose up again thrashing and realised with shock that she could feel no pain, she was feeling weaker and more hopeless. She stopped fighting and let her body fill with more and more lake water. She wasn't dissolving _._ once more she was swallowed up by the lake.

Issa's pov

This isn't right! I'm breathing and painless! I can't swim up not even in squid form! I'm just floating! This water is so murky I can't even see anything! It's pitch black! Thrashing isn't helping… this is hopeless…let the water fill me… let me swallow it…everything is horrible… What's that noise? These screams are too familiar…Una?

3rd person view

Issa saw the screaming octoling's petrified face. _Issa! Help me! I'm falling! Take me Issa! Don't leave me to die!_ All around her Issa saw dying octarians! Mothers with children, terrified teenagers and moaning elderly! The more water she filled her lungs with the more suffering she saw! _Issa take me! Please!_ She couldn't take it anymore. She reached out to Una and clasped her hand. But Una's face twisted into a nasty smile. "Una…" Issa felt herself weaken slowly. Her eyes start to close. An everlasting sleep about to enclose her. When suddenly she felt a hand clasp her arm and drag her up to the surface.

Iz's pov

Uh I'm so tired. I'm a little wet actually, ew have I been drooling? Gross. Wait what the squid where's Issa?! Did she fall into a hole I didn't think there were any here! Wait what's that noise? It sounds like…WATER?! No, no, no she didn't fall into water did she?! Um I have some matches in my pocket… here! Let me light this… squid there's a lake! Issa! I can see something in there! It could be Issa but the water will hurt so bad if I stick my arm in… There really isn't any other options is there? Well here we go… wow it doesn't hurt at all… um back to Issa I think I see her! I got it! It is her! I think she's still breathing please don't be dead!

3rd person view

Issa slowly opened her eyes to see Iz looking down at her. "Are you ok?" He asked relieved.

"Yeah…" Issa muttered.

"You didn't die."

"I know… honestly I'm confused about that myself…"

"What happened in there?"

"I think I just met my demons…"


End file.
